Apparatus for binding piles of sheets



Jan. 10, 1956 w. BERBERICH 2,730,142

APPARATUS FOR BINDING PILES OF SHEETS Filed Aug. 15, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l I7? 1/87? Zok WA' Z25 BerZeI-A'cA Jan. 10, 1956 w. BERBERICH 2,730,142

APPARATUS FOR BINDING FILES OF SHEETS .Filed Aug. 15, 1951 5 SheetsSheet 2 I 7 V871 0F M482 5 BeH-Ee/ QA Jan. 10, 1956 w. BERBERICH 2,730,142

APPARATUS FOR BINDING PILES OF SHEETS Filed Aug. 15, 1951 5 SheetsSheet 3 jnreniofi WL ZZK BekZel-Lc y Jan. 10, 1956 w. BERBERICH 2,730,142

APPARATUS FOR BINDING PILES 0F SHEETS Filed Aug. 15, 195]. 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 10, 1956 w. BERBERICH 2,730,142

APPARATUS FOR BINDING FILES OF SHEETS Filed Aug. 15, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR BINDING PILES 0F SHEETS Willi Berberich, Heilbronn (Neckar), Wurttemberg, Germany Application August 15, 1951, Serial No. 241,995

Claims priority, application Germany May 25, 1951 8 Claims. (Cl. 140-923) The invention relates to an apparatus for binding piles of sheets, especially of paper sheets, by winding a wire spiral in a pile of sheets perforated parallelly to its back, said apparatus being provided with guides for the wire spiral and the pile of sheets.

It has been suggested to provide the guiding element for the wire spiral used in such apparatus with a longitudinal recess having a semi-circular cross section corresponding to the radius of wire spiral, and with notches running across the said recess and serving for the insertion of taps or riders provided each with a semi-circular projection forming the guide rail. This device has outer hinged guiding rails at both sides of the pile of sheets which rails partially enclose the path of the wire spiral and form the guide of the wire spiral between the longitudinal recess of the guiding element and the perforation of the pile of sheets. The rails are provided, for this purpose, on both sides neighbouring the pile of sheets with grooves corresponding to the windings of the wire spiral and joining, on the one hand, grooves provided in the guiding element and, on the other hand, the perforations of the pile of sheets. This device is relatively complicated and does not allow to watch the wire spiral to be wound-in.

The present invention concerns a device which does not show these disadvantages. According to one feature of the invention two holding plates for the pile of sheets guided parallelly to each other are provided the distance of which from each other is regulable and which are provided at longitudinal edges corresponding each other, each with a comb engaging the wire spiral to be woundin, further a forming piece adapted to be pressed against the back of the pile thereby displacing the single sheets of the pile in such a way that the channels formed by holes, in the following designated as hole channels, are curved in correspondence with the diameter of the wire spiral, and an abutment arranged angularly to the winding direction by which abutment the hole channels are curved in the pitch direction of the wire spiral.

According to another feature of the invention a round rod-like body is provided along the entrance places of the beginning of the wire spiral into the gaps of the one comb, said body being pressed against the comb under the action of torsion springs.

According to a further feature of'the invention a bolt or. mandrel is provided which is fastened to the frame of the device and serves for feeding the wire spiral guided over this bolt or mandrel by means of a driven tiltable friction wheel pressing against the wire spiral.

According to still another feature of the invention the devices for severing the wire spiral and for bending over its ends consist each of a stationary portion and a portion movable in the winding direction. The stationary portion consists again of two tools adjustable relatively to each other in the pitch direction of the wire spiral and Mable in the adjusted position, the one of said tools being provided with comb-like guides for the wire spiral and the opposite with a knife engaging the windings of the wire spiral. The movable portion consists of a plate carrying the counter-knife and being movable in the winding direction.

Further features of the invention may be seen from the following specification describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the device,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof partially sectional,

Fig. 4 is a section through the device according to the line IV--IV of Fig. 1 and in an enlarged scale,

Fig. 5 shows a portion of Fig. 4 in an enlarged scale,

Fig. 6 is a partial section neighbouring the section shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 shows the bolt or mandrel for feeding the wire spiral and a portion of a wire spiral;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of the two devices for severing the Wire spiral and bending-over its ends,

Figs. 9 and 10 are plan views of the other of the mentioned two devices in different positions;

Fig. 11 is a side view of the device according to Figs. 9 and 10 seen in the direction opposite that of winding-in the wire spiral;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of portions of the device according to Figs. 9 and 10 drawn apart, and

Fig. 13 shows the severed wire spiral having its ends bent over.

The apparatus consists of. a frame 1 to which a plate 2 for holding a pile of sheets 3 is fastened by means of holding rods 4 adjustable in eyes 50f the frame 1 and fixable in the adjusted position by means of screws 6 with a knurled head.

Parallelly to this holding plate 2 another holding plate 7 is arranged the distance of which from the first mentioned holding plate is regulable. The holding .plate 7 is guided by two guides 8 provided at the ends of the frame 1 and may be moved by means of racks 9 (Fig. 3). The racks 9 mesh with toothed wheels 11 attached to an axis 10 supported by the frame 1. The axis 10 may be turned by a pedal 14 by means of a leverage 12, 13 connected therewith. If the pedal 14 is actuated contrary to the action of a spring 15 the holding plate 7 is removed from the holding plate 2 and if the pedal 14 is released the mentioned plate 7 moves towards the holding plate 2 under the action of the spring 15 so that the pile of sheets 3 being between the holding plates 2 and 7 is clamped.

The longitudinal edges 2a, 7a of the plates are provided each with a comb 2b, 7b the divisions of which corresponds to the pitch of the wire spiral 16 to be wound-in. This division remains equal for all piles of sheets to be bound as also wire spirals of equal pitch are used. The thickness of the pile is taken in consideration by using different diameters of the wire of which the wire spiral consists, in such a way that for thicker piles a larger diameter of the wire is used.

The combs 2b and 7b are suitably supported by the holding plates 2' and 7 so as 'to be adjustable in the longitudinal direction i. e. in the direction in which the wire spiral 16 is wound-in, and fixable in the adjusted position. For this purpose the holding plates 2 and 7 are provided with slots or notches of which only the notches 7c of the holding plate 7 appear in the drawing. Through these slots screws pass by means of which the combs 2b and 7b may be fastened to the holding plates 2 and 7. In the drawings only the screws 7d appear. 7

The pile of sheets 3 is perforated in a manner known per se parallelly to its back 3a so that the pile 3 is pro vided with hole channels arranged side by side in a straight line.

Opposite the back 3a of the clamped pile of sheets a form piece 17 is arranged for the purpose to form the back 3a of the pile 3 by displacing the single sheets of the pile in such a way that the hole channels 3b are curved in correspondence with thediameter of the wire spiral 16. This form piece 17 is connected detachably and therefore interchangeably to a slide 18 by means of a screw 19, said slide being movable in its longitudinal direction within a guide 20 provided at the frame 1 suchwise that the form piece 17 may be approached to or removed from the back 3a of the pile of sheets. The interchangeability of the form piece 17 is required on account of the different possible lengths of the piles of sheets to be worked and on account of the thickness of the pile of sheets to which the length of the arc of the cylindrical segment 17a forming the essential active portion of the form piece 17 corresponds. Different lengths ofthe form piece 17 are used on account of the different position of the devices for severing the wire spiral and for bending-over its ends, to be described later on.

The slide 18 is pivotally connected with a bell crank lever 23 pivoted at 22 to the table plate 21 carrying the frame 1, besides, the said slide is under the action of a spring 24 influencing the slide 18 in such a way that the form piece 17 is pressed against the back 3a of the pile of sheets. If the bell crank lever 23 is actuated against the action of the spring 24 the form piece 17 is removed from the back 3a of the pile of sheets.

At the holding plate 2 an abutment 25 is arranged angularly to the winding-in direction of the wire spiral, serving to curve the hole channels 3b of the abutting pile of sheets 3 in the direction of the pitch of the wire spiral. The foot 25a of this abutment 25 is longitudinally displaceable in the winding-in direction of the wire spiral in a guide 26 provided at the plate 2 and fixable by means of a screw 27 provided with a knurled head. As the guide 26 of the abutment 25 is outside of the interstice between the holding plates 2 and 7 slots 26a are provided in the holding plates through which the abutment 25 passes.

In order to surely introduce the beginning 16a of the wire spiral 16 to be wound into the gaps of the one comb, in the illustrated embodiment of the comb 7b, a round preferably cylindrical rod like body 28 is provided along the entrance places of the beginning 16a of the wire spiral, said body being tube-like. The body is tiltable around a rod 30 by means of arms 29, the rod 30 being fastened to the holding plate 7 by eyes 31. The arms 29 are under the action of torsion springs 32 pressing the rod like body 28 against the comb 7b.

For guiding the wire spiral 16 and for moving it as required for being Wound-in, a bolt or mandrel 33 is provided at the frame 1 of the device the axis of which lies in the winding-in direction. The wire spiral 16 is guided over this mandrel 33 as an endless spiral and is fed by a driven friction wheel 34 having suitably a rough surface and therefore being provided with a corresponding lining. This friction wheel is pressed against the wire spiral 16 guided by the mandrel 33, thereby rotating the wire spiral around its axis so that its beginning 16a moves forwardly in the direction towards the pile of sheets. In order to surely introduce the wire spiral 16 between the gaps of the comb 7b the mandrel is provided at its ends neighbouring the holding plates with a screw like guide 33a.

The driven friction wheel 34 is journalled in a bearing 35 arranged at the end of a lever 36 tiltable around the axis; 37 of an intermediate shaft 38. The intermediate shaft 38'is driven by the pulley 39 of a motor 40 over the disc 41. The rotation of the intermediate shaft 38 is transmitted to the shaft of the friction wheel 34 by means of. pulleys 42, 43 connected by a belt 44.

The lever 36 the end of which carries the friction wheel 34. is connected with a rod 45 by which the friction wheel 34 may be pressed against the portion, of the wire spiral being on 'the'mandrel 33, a counter-acting spring, 46 being provided. The rod 45 may be actuated by means of an operating memben for instance a pedal-46. It isprovided 4 with an adjustable abutment 47 abutting against the lower side of the table plate 21 if the friction wheel 34 is pressed against the portion of the wire spiral 16 being on the mandrel 33 by the spring 46. Before the mandrel 33, seen in the winding-in direction, suitably a guide 48 for the wire spiral 16 is provided.

The apparatus according to the invention is also provided with two devices for severing the wire spiral and for bending-over its ends, said devices being adjustable and fixable for the purpose of adapting them to the length of the pile of sheets in the winding-in direction. Each of these devices is supported by a block 49 adjustable in the longitudinal i. e. the Winding-in direction of the wire spiral along a frame portion 50 by means of a screw and fixable in the adjusted position. For this purpose the frame portion 50 is provided with a prismatic guide 51 within which the screw head 52a is guided and the screw may be tightened by means of a nut 52.

Each device for severing and bending-over consists of a stationary portion and a portion movable in the windingin direction.

The stationary portion consists of two tools 53 and 54 displaceable relatively to each other in the direction of the pitch of the wire spiral and fixable in the adjusted position, the one 53 of said tools being provided with comblike guides 53a for the Wire spiral while the opposite tool 54 has a knife 54a engaging the windings of the wire spiral 16.

The two tools 53 and 54 are adjustable relatively to each other in the direction of the pitch of the wire spiral and fixable in the adjusted position by being guided at both sides in a guide 55 and fixable by means of screws 56 passing through slots 53b and 54b in the tools 53 and 54 respectively.

The movable portion of a severing and bending-over device consists of a plate 58 provided with a counterknife 57 said plate 58 being displaceable in the windingin direction of the wire spiral.

The portion 53 having the comb-like guide 53a is arranged suchwise that the one half of the wire spiral 16 lies in the comb-like guide 53a while the knife 54a and the counter knife 57 are arranged in such a way that the other half of the wire spiral 16 lies within their reach. For the purpose of allowing the plate 58 to be adjusted it is provided with a slot 59 engaged by an eccentric pivot 60 eccentrically attached to a shaft 61 supported by the block 49 and driven by a toothed wheel 62.

The toothed wheels 62 of both devices mesh with a rack 63 which is longitudinally displaceable in the winding-in direction along the frame portion 50 preferably also by means of a prismatic guide 64.

The rack 63 may be actuated by means of a hand lever 65 fastened at the end of a double armed lever 67 pivoted at 66 to the frame portion 50. By this lever 67 the movement imparted to the lever 65 by hand is transmitted to the rack 63 over a lever 68 and bell crank lever 70 pivoted to the frame portion 50 at 69 and a slot-like guide 71.

At the ends of the frame portion 50 adjustable abutments are formed by screws 74 serving for limiting the stroke of the rack 63.

The levers 65, 67, a portion of the lever 68 and the journal 66 are at the side of the frame 1 opposite to the side at which the devices for severing and bending-over are arranged. For this reason the frame portion 50 consists of two parts 50a and 50b arranged at opposite sides of the frame 1 and guided thereon for instance by prismatic or dovetailed guides not shown in the drawing. In the frame 1 a slot 72 is provided through which screws 73 pass. connecting the two parts 50a and 50b of the frame portion 50 with each other.

The frame portion 50. is adjustable relatively to the frame 1 in the, level. of the pile of sheets 3 and vertically to the-winding-in direction and'is fixable in the adjusted position. For this purpose the frame portion 50 is provided with an eye 75 engaged by a screw 77 provided with a hand wheel 76, said screw being turnable within the frame 1.

The frame 1 is suitably fastened at the table 21 in an oblique position by means of screws 78, the table being provided with the necessary openings to allow the element arranged below it to pass.

The device according to the invention operates in the following way:

The pile of sheets 3 to be bound which is perforated and therefore is provided with hole channels 311 is brought between the two holding plates 2 and 7 which at that time are not pressed together and after its back having been formed by the form piece 17a and after its one edge having been adjusted by the abutment 25 it is clamped between the holding plates 2 and '7. The hole channels 3b are now curved according to the diameter of the wire spiral as Well as according to its pitch.

The form piece 17a is removed from the back 3a of the pile of sheets by actuating the bell crank lever 23 after the pile of sheets 3 being clamped between the holding plates 2 and 7 so that the path of the wire spiral 16 is cleared.

The endless wire spiral 16 is inserted into the guide as and guided over the mandrel 33 by hand so far that the beginning 16a of the wire spiral lies in the screw shaped guide 33a of the mandrel 33.

if the motor 46 is running the friction wheel 34 may be pressed against the wire spiral id on the mandrel 33 by actuating the pedal 46. Thereby a screw-like forward movement is imparted to the wire spiral 16 and the beginning 16a of the wire spiral is introduced into the hole channels 3b thereby passing between the combs 2b and 7 b until the beginning 16a of the wire spiral leaves the last hole channel 3b neighbouring the other end of the pile of sheets 3. As soon as the beginning 16a projects for a certain piece over this other end of the pile of sheets the foot lever 46 is released whereby the friction disk 34 is lifted oi from the wire spiral 16 and the forward movement of the latter is interrupted.

Now, the wire spiral 16 is severed at opposite ends and the two ends 16c of the wire spiral formed thereby are bent-over toward the pile of sheets. For this reason the devices for severing and bending-over which are formed per se in the same manner, are staggered relatively to each other for 180. In the following the procedure at the one end of the wire spiral is described; the procedure at the other end being an equal one except the circumstance that the moving directions are opposite.

Regarding for instance Figs. 9 and ll, the wire is severed in such a way that the counter-knife 57 moves towards the knife 54a. Thereby the portion of the spring 16 shown in Fig. 11 in full lines is severed at 16c, and the portion 160 shown in Fig. 11 in dotted lines and the portions joining that portion remain. The counter-knife 57 passes below the knife 54a so that the portion 160 being within the reach of the counter-knife 5'7 is bent off, as to be seen from Fig. 10. The counter-knives 57 of both severing and bending devices are simultaneously moved by actuating the lever 65 by means of the racks 53 the toothed wheels 62 and the eccentric pivots 69.

Of course the drive of the wire spiral in by the friction wheel 34- may be dispensed with and the wire spiral in may be guided from the spiral winding machine immediately to the mandrel and wound-in by the spiral winding machine into the pile of sheets 3.

What I claim is:

1. A coil guiding and feeding means for apparatus for binding piles of perforated sheets by winding-in a wire spiral hinge comprising, a frame, two holding plates provided on said frame and adapted to clamp the pile of sheets, a comb secured to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral to be wound into a pile of sheets, a form member reciprocally supported on said frame and adiacent the holding plates, means to press said form 6 member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheets so that the holes therein form a curved channel in dependence with the diameter of the wire spiral, said means also moving the form member away from contact with the pile of sheets before the wire spiral is wound into the pile of sheets, and an abutment on one of the holding plates arranged angularly to the winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels in a pitch direction in agreement with the wire spiral. 2. A coil guiding and freeding means for apparatus for binding piles of sheets by winding-in a wire spiral in a pile perforated parallel to its back comprising, a frame consisting of a stationary part and a part to be adjusted relative to the stationary part in the level of the pile of sheets and perpendicularly to the winding direction of the wire spiral and fixed in the adjusted position, two holding plates provided on said stationary frame part to clamp the pile of sheets together, means to adjust said plates relative and parallel to each other, a pair of combs attached one to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral, a form member mounted on said r'novable frame part, means to press said form member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheets so that the holes of the perforation form hole channels curved in accordance with the diameter of the wire spiral, and an abutment on the frame arranged angularly to the winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels to the pitch direction of the wire spiral. 3. A coil guiding and feeding means for apparatus for binding piles of perforated sheets by winding-in a wire spiral hinge comprising a frame, two holding plates provided on said frame and adapted to clamp the pile of sheets, a comb secured to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral to be wound into a pile of sheets, a form member reciprocally supported on said frame and adjacent the holding plates, means to press said form member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheets so that the holes therein form a curved channel in dependence with the diameter of the wire spiral, said means also moving the form member away from contact with the pile of sheets before the wire spiral is wound into the pile of sheets, an abutment on one of the holding plates arranged angularly to the winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels in a pitch direction in agreement with the wire spiral, a pair of racks movably mounted on said frame and carrying one of said holding plates, toothed wheels mounted on said frame engaging said racks, and means to operate said wheels to adjust the holding plates relative to each other. 4. A coil guiding and feeding means for apparatus for binding piles of perforated sheets by winding-in a wire spiral hinge comprising a frame, two holding plates provided on said frame and adapted to clamp the pile of sheets, a comb secured to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral to be Wound into a pile of sheets, a form member reciprocally supported on said frame and adjacent the holding plates, means to press said form member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheet so that the holes therein form a curved channel in dependence with the diameter of the wire spiral, said means also moving the form member away from contact with the pile of sheets before the wire spiral is wound into the pile of sheets, an abutment on one of the holding plates arranged angularly to the winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels in a pitch direction in agreement with the wire spiral, a slide guided by said frame and carrying said form member, a spring connected to said slide and frame to press the slide and form member against the back of the pile of sheets, and means to move the slide and form member from the pile of sheets against the action of said spring. 5. A coil guiding and feeding means for apparatus for binding piles of perforated sheets by winding-in a wire spiral hinge comprising a frame, two holding plates provided on said frame and adapted to clamp the pile of sheets, a comb secured to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral to be wound into a pile of sheets, a form member reciprocally supported-on said frame and adjacent the holding plates, means to press said form member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheets so that the holes therein form a curved channel in dependence with the diameter of the wire spiral, said means also moving the form member away from contact with the pile of sheets before the wire spiral is wound into the pile of sheets, an abutment on one of the holding plates arranged angularly to the winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels ina pitch direction in agreement with the wire spiral, and a rod associated with the frame and positioned thereon so that the beginning of the wire spiral is guided thereon to be pressed against one of the combs.

6. A coil guiding and feeding means for apparatus for binding piles of perforated sheets by winding-in a wire spiral hinge comprising a frame, two holding plates provided on said frame and adapted to clamp the pile of sheets, a comb secured to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral to be wound into a pile of sheets, a form member reciprocally supported on said frame and adjacent the holding plates, means to press said form member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheets so that the holes therein form a curved channel in dependence with the diameter of the wire spiral, said means also moving the form member away from contact with the pile of sheets before the wire spiral is wound into the pile of sheets, an abut ment on one of the holding plates arranged angularly to the Winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels in a pitch direction in agreement with the wire spiral, a rod tiltably supported by one of said plates and arranged along the entry end of the beginning of the wire spiral, and springs connected to said rod to press the latter against one of the combs.

7. A coil guiding and feeding means for apparatus for binding piles of perforated sheets by winding-in a wire spiral hinge comprising a frame, two holding plates provided on said frame and adapted to clamp the pile of sheets, a comb secured to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral to be wound into a pile of sheets, a form member reciprocally supported on said frame and adjacent the holding plates, means to press said form member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheets so that the holes therein form a curved channel in dependence with the diameter of the wire spiral, said means also moving the form member away from contact with the pile of sheets before the wire spiral is wound into the pile of sheets, an abutment on one of the holding plates arranged angularly to the winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels in a pitch direction in agreement with the wire spiral, a mandrel secured to the frame to guide the wire spiral, and a driven friction wheel mounted in the frame and coacting with said mandrel to be pressed against the wire spiral on the mandrel to thereby advance the spiral upon rotation of the wheel.

8. A coil guiding and feeding means for apparatus for binding piles of perforated sheets by winding-in a wire spiral hinge comprising a frame, two holding plates provided on said frame and adapted to clamp the pile of sheets, a comb secured to each of said plates and adapted to engage the wire spiral to be wound into a pile of sheets, a form member reciprocally supported on said frame and adjacent the holding plates, means to press said form member against the back of the pile of sheets and to displace the individual sheets so that the holes therein form a curved channel in dependence with the diameter of the wire spiral, said means also moving the form member away from contact with the pile of sheets before the wire spiral is wound into the pile of sheets, an abutment on one of the holding plates arranged angularly to the winding direction and adapted to curve the said hole channels in a pitch direction in agreement with the wire spiral, a mandrel secured to the frame to guide the wire spiral, a driven friction wheel mounted on the frame and coacting with said mandrel to be pressed against the wire spiral on the mandrel to thereby advance the spiral upon rotation of the wheel, an actuating means connected with said friction wheel to tilt the latter when pressed against the wire spiral on the mandrel to thereby advance the spiral, and a counteracting spring to lift the friction wheel off the said wire spiral and mandrel.

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